Calgary Flames Sign Two Players

In Connor Mackey and Colton Poolman, the Flames are getting two college hockey defencemen. Mackey plays at Minnesota State University – Mankato, where he scored seven goals and 17 assists for 24 points in 36 games this season.

The 23-year-old has played three seasons for Minnesota State University – Mankato, scoring 18 goals and 43 assists for 61 points in 118 games from 2016-17 to 2019-20.

The 6′-2″ defenceman was named to the WCHA First All-Star team this season. He posted a league-high +19 rating. Mackey was the USHL Defenceman of the Year in 2017; in addition he made the USHL First All-Star team.

Poolman plays at the University of North Dakota where he scored four goals and 13 assists for 17 points in 31 games this season.

The 24-year-old skated in 146 games for North Dakota over four seasons. He scored 18 goals and 57 assists for 75 points. The 6′-1″ defenceman captained the Fighting Hawks for the past two seasons. He was named as an honourable mention to the NCHC All-Star Team in 2018-19 and 2019-20.

What This Means For The Future

By signing these two players, Calgary adds two more left-handed defensemen. These players will likely need more time to develop their game to succeed at the NHL level.

With captain Mark Giordano on the back-end of his career, Calgary hopes one of these players can help fill the void when he moves on.

Mackey is one of the top defenders coming out of college. His size allows him to battle for pucks along the edges and his elite skating ability makes him valuable on both ends. He has good ice vision and strong lateral agility which could translate to power-play minutes in the NHL.

Poolman’s game is not known for being overly physical but he isn’t afraid to block shots. He has shown strong abilities on the penalty kill and possesses excellent shooting and passing skills.

These two signings bolster Calgary’s defensive organizational depth. Both these players could wind up playing at the NHL level in the future.

Justin is a 2019 graduate of the University of New Hampshire. Being an avid sports fan his entire life, he brings that passion to his writing. He writes about the Boston Bruins and NHL for Last Word on Hockey.